Special Thx
one down, four to go
With one exam down and four more to go we have the finish line in sight!
I often praise my new school and the students. They truly care about their grades, do their work, and participate in class even when not under duress. It has truly impressed me. However, the last two days it has been like I am back in a traditional high school where the students were Cah-RAY-zee! Really, it has seemed like a different school. I asked other teachers if it was normally like this and they were as shocked as me. Maybe it is just how this group deals with exam stress because today they are back to normal studious and in tune with their academic progress. I hope they studied. It would be terrible to go downhill just because they got in touch with their immaturity for a few days.
We’re facing half days for the rest of the week. Love it. Most of my grading is complete and I plan to have it all done by the time I leave Friday afternoon. I do not want to do anything until after Christmas and then I only want to study and prepare for material to be covered in January. I plan on spending time with the girls. Painting, jewelry making, cookie baking and decorating…those will be our activities. I have to finish shopping and there will be some cleaning in there too, but the focus needs to be on the kids…and Jem too of course.
Happy day to all…
WP 2.7 YIKES!
Upgraded to WP 2.7 and WOW! Love the QuickPress feature but was TOTALLY confused when all of the admin tools were missing. If you have an admin theme or dropdown admin features installed it will be necessary to deactivate and leave deactivated for the new WP version to work. I kind of like the new. Much easier to customize and one click to get to what you want in the tools. Did I mention QuickPress is cool?
An exciting weekend awaits…
the joys of teaching
A robot girlfriend???
Dude has issues. Step away from your computer. Step into the real world. You know, I have a student or two that would think this is the ultimate. I’m sorry, I think it’s weird. Not so much the robot part as the fact that he took the time to include sensors in various areas. 33 yo guy wonders why he can’t find the perfect woman, mmmm….mystery solved. Techno geek qualities aside, it could be the fact that his perfect woman is Aiko who he describes, “Aiko doesn’t need holidays, food or rest, and will work almost 24 hours a day. She is the perfect woman.” Wow, even his robot has that WTH? look down.
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Have yourself a frugal little Christmas…
With economic hard times and uncertainty ahead many families are embracing frugality. There is great hype around the holidays, a spending frenzy if you will. Some will go in debt up to their ears just to get EVERYTHING on the wish list. Understandable. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make your loved ones happy, but the issue is when it brings hardship to the family. I have often complained that people are losing sight of the importance of the holiday. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. (Yes, well aware that it is not the exact date. However, it is the agreed upon time of celebration.) Christmas is about celebrating as a family. The gift giving is a symbol of the gifts given by the wise men in honor of Jesus. Have our Christmas celebrations reflected this sentiment or have our celebrations reflected the commercialization of a very special day?
I was concerned about this year. We have faced twos moves and a major life transition over the past two years. It takes a toll on the finances. I was concerned that the girls would be disappointed in the spoils of Christmas giving. If they are disappointed then I have failed as a parent. I would not be a failure because I could not purchase all of their wish list. I would be a failure because I have not given enough emphasis to the true meaning of Christmas. Despite economic hard times that the nation faces, and many of us personally, we can still have a merry LITTLE Christmas. We can spend time together. Pick out a tree together. Choose or create gifts that come from the heart. Enjoy each other.
Tense Teacher offered a similar post earlier this week. It was an inspiration to me. We do not have to embrace the commercialization. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. It is not necessary to break the bank. It is necessary to focus on what is most important.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. (Happy Hanukkah too!)
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Doggie dynamics
What? This is news? I guess if you are one who believes animals do not “feel” then it falls in the news category. However, anyone who has and loves pets is aware that love, jealousy, and pride are exhibited by them. Blackie is the alpha dog and the other dogs know it, but Alli is the cat in charge. Alli inspires whimpering and pacing anytime she hisses at Blackie. She adores Jem, curling up in his lap and purring loudly. She stops purring if I come close. Tchaik is the biggest of our pets and very insistent that he is to be the one receiving petting. He pushes Blackie out of the way in order to be first or get her away from me. Blackie will allow it, but if he gets out of line or tries to play too rough she will put him on the ground, growling and biting. Tiki knows to stay out of their way, but if Jem tries to sit with me she will insist on getting between us. If any animal catches a mouse or a snake, isn’t it common for them to bring it to you for your approval? If you scold a dog doesn’t its tail tuck and ears drop? Contrary to popular belief, I do not put animals on the same level of importance as humans. They are part of the family, and they do feel affection, jealousy, loyalty and other emotions. Certainly it is on a more simplistic scale than humans, but still. I know, some people personify their animals and it is too far. (OK, I have been guilty. They are just so darn cute and it is such fun to put human thoughts to their expressions.)
Lil Bit went to a friends house a few weeks ago and when they brought her home the mother would barely come inside the door saying she was allergic to animals. She commented to Jem that Lil Bit had said our cat had sensitive skin, then laughed about how she didn’t know how you could tell if a cat had sensitive skin. It really isn’t that unbelievable. Our cat has never liked being touched, she cringes (meows and bites) if you try to pet her anywhere but the chin or top of her head, and we have had her longer than Lil Bit so we are a little familiar with her behavior.
Pet owners know their pets. They know what they like and dislike, what they respond to, and how to get certain responses from them. It is just something you learn when you spend enough time in the company of a friend, human or furry…hopefully your human friends aren’t that furry and there is a clear distinction.
Facebook postings = firing
This totally hacks me off! Teachers being FIRED for their Facebook and MySpace accounts? No, they shouldn’t have included their place of employment AND write negative things about the students. No, they should not have inappropriate pics on their site…with the place of employment, and public access to the site. I have a FaceBook account and I have a MySpace that only allows friends to view. It is MY space and even as a teacher I have freedom of speech. In my classroom I must teach students how to think, not what to think, and I must do so in such a way that is respectful and responsible. Outside of school I am my own person! I 100% disagree with someone losing their job over what they post online. A reprimand or request asking for company identification to be removed, I can understand that…but loss of job? No. Maybe you disagree, that is fine. You are entitled to your opinion! It goes back to that whole free speech thing!
I am not advocating teachers being able to blast their students online or give away any private information. But I just do not think it is right for someone to lose their job over comments made in frustration. IMO teachers should have the same rights as everyone else, but they really should use good judgement and keep their private stuff private. I know nothing is 100% private, but if an effort has been made then that is good enough.
Maybe I’m making sense…am I wrong here?
Seven layers of life
Wasting time with a meme taken from Tense Teacher…
LAYER 1: Tell us your…
* Name: kontan
* Birthday (month, day): June 22
* Birthplace: AL
* Current location: NC
* Eye color: blue
* Hair color: brown…ish
* Height: 5? 1? (and 1/2 thank you very much)
* Righty or lefty: righty
* Zodiac sign: cancer
LAYER 2: What’s…
* Your heritage: American…but if you go WAY back maybe Brit
* The shoes you wore today: sperrys
* Your weakness: wasting time on the net
* Your fears: heights
* Your perfect pizza: used to be Vanelli’s but Bellacino’s is pretty awesome…everything on it please
* Goals you’d like to achieve: financial stability
* Your first waking thoughts: mmmm, what is that wonderful smell (cinnamon tea made by the most wonderful man ever)
* Your best physical feature: ???? eyes
* Your most missed memory: Thursday nights at Vanelli’s…really miss TF 
LAYER 3: Do you…
* Smoke: no
* Cuss: not often, but yes
* Sing: not really
* Do you think you’ve been in love: I am positive I have and AM
* Did you go to college: yes
* Liked high school: eh…band, but wouldn’t repeat most of it
* Want to get/stay married: That’s the goal!
* Believe in yourself: eh, sometimes
* Think you’re attractive: rarely
* Think you’re a health freak: not so much
* Get along with your parent(s): no
* Like thunderstorms: mmm very nice, as long as they aren’t severe
* Play an instrument: trumpet
LAYER 4: In the past month have you…
* Drank alcohol: yes, I’m a wine fan
* Smoked: no
* Done a drug: not of the illegal variety
* Made out: 
* Gone on a date: no
* Gone to the mall: yep
* Eaten an entire box of Oreos: no
* Eaten sushi: nope
* Been on stage: yep, helped break down after church
* Been dumped: no
* Gone skating: no
* Gone skinny dipping: nope
* Stolen Anything: no
LAYER 5: Have you ever…
* Played a game that required removal of clothing: mmm, don’t think so
* Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: no
* Been caught “doing something”: nope
* Been called a tease: probably
* Gotten beaten up: no
* Shoplifted: no
LAYER 6:
* Age you did get/hope to be married: 18…almost 19
* Numbers and names of pets: 1 cat- Alli, 3 dogs- Tiki, Blackie and Tchaik
* Describe your dream mate: Dark hair, dark brown eyes, way hot in his dark shirt and jeans
* How do you want to die: painless and without prior knowledge
* What did you want to be when you grow up: a teacher
* What country would you most like to visit: Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand
LAYER 7: Now tell…
* Name a drug you’ve taken illegally: none
* Name a person you could trust with my life: my husband
* Name a favorite CD that you own: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves soundtrack
* Number of piercings: just ears
* Number of tattoos: none
* Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: several, actually, all for school stuff
* Name a past experience that you regret: live and learn…
Work smarter, not harder
Somewhere along the way I have failed to grasp the concept of working smarter, not harder. Asst. Admin said the other day, “Why are you working so hard? You are a veteran teacher!” I’m teaching five classes at a new school and have three preps that I haven’t taught since my first year…and one of the preps is being created as I go! I have NOTHING to pull from, so all instruction has to be originally prepared. I know there are PowerPoints and lecture notes to pull from but I am completely unable to teach with the materials created by someone else. Personal flaw I guess. It is much easier than it was at the beginning and I am certainly getting the hang of things. but…ARGH!
I still wonder what I am missing because I’m working pretty dang hard here.
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